Sir, the airplane was in a SAM break two days ago. Summer-67- Lost an engine to one but miraculously survived blast suffocation and stupidly re-started the J-79 after safely- feet wet. YGBSM!. In fact, there is no way you may be honored equal to what you gave. Thank you, Mr. Crecca! I flew the airplane to a point in space below the beautiful Stratotanker where I judged the contact position to be. We knew radio chatter was recorded. Lt Cmdr Frederick P Crosby's plane crashed in a pond during the Vietnam War in 1965 (inset). GlobalSecurity, South Viet Nam Air Force VNAF Aircraft Deliveries. GBU my friend! You also draw a conclusion that isnt at all clear-cut, which is why no one else has commented on it. He was crying. (I would have loved to get into the left seat of a C-130, but if theyd assigned me to an O-2 Skymaster, that would have been fine too.). I would not change a thing; glad I was able to serve. Scotty hadnt regained consciousness. Glad you made it home safe after 6 years in the north. Lasted almost two weeks on the island before a Japanese sniper gave him his ticket off the island. [11], William A. Sayers writing in 2019 asserted that North Vietnam only had three aces in the war including Phm Thanh Ngn, with the other "aces" being creations of North Vietnamese propaganda that included claimed "kills" on days where no U.S. losses occurred, crediting VPAF pilots with kills that had actually been achieved by surface to air missile or antiaircraft artillery units and shootdowns of drones. If I failed to keep this from them, they would reposition their anti-aircraft batteries and SAMs to make the target a flak trap, making this JCS target even more formidable than before. Flight lead replied, Dogwood 2, you have the lead. So that it is crystal clear to the reader, this means that two 1stLieutenants were leading a flight of Phantoms to a JCS target on the outskirts of Hanoi referred to as Bullseye by those of us who flew over the north. Scotty Wilson had a beautiful wife and daughter whose lives were torn asunder as well. First loss: operational (non-combat), F-4C 64-0674 (45TH TFS, 15th TFW) which ran out of fuel after strike in SVN on 9 June 1965; first combat loss F-4C 64-0685 (45th TFS, 15th TFW) shot down Ta Chan, NW NVN on 20 June 1965. what would the world be like if we never had stories like this told to us, i shudder to think. 33 years 6 months after his loss. Source for F-4 losses is Phantom with U.S. Marine Corps (Joe Baugher), others are unsourced, Production of a total of 380 Mohawks ended in December 1970. I was the mouse. Despite these difficulties, we began to taxi. Theyd blow up in midair, before they ever got to the runway. It was great to get back to the sweltering heat, I gotta tell ya. Joe many of the IPs in the 4435th remember you from your smooth ride getting back in the Phantom. I wish I could have expressed my thanks to your Elder Eagle for successfully completing his mission to spring me out of jail. Directional control was by use of nose wheel steering or rudder up to 70 knots, at which airspeed the rudder became effective. He did what he had to do, did what he was asked to do by his country. However, when your country calls, you have two choices, in 1965 you went, in 1969 you didnt. My brother got spit on when he landed in Atlanta on his way home. 17, 1965, Commander Lou Page (pilot) and Lieutenant JC Smith were flying F-4B bureau number (buno) 150646 not 151488 as sometimes reported. Osprey 2001, No. I hope to be delighted with more of your anecdotes. Scotty took one look at the patch which I admit looked a bit Sam Schwartz to me and replied, If we have to break for a SAM, well bring it back without the wingtip.. But survival instincts and thorough ejection training were running the show. Subconsciously I probably realized I was sitting alone in the back seat of a burning airplane. Have not seen him since 1962. November 22, 1966, was selected as the day a massive air strike would be launched against the first of two high-priority targets in North Vietnam (NVN). And all of us should remember them every day because we are we enjoy the freedoms their sacrifice every, single day. After that we had our individual flight briefings. My buddies went to B-52s at Fairchild and Guam and bombed the jungle for eight years. He makes us tell a war story that we have heard. Scotty compensated nicely and kept us in formation while I was continually checking six. During the left, 270 degree turn, the flight leader must have been having problems with his navigation system because he asked if our own nav equipment was operating normally, saying, Dogwood 2, hows your inertial?. Joe, thanks for sharing and honoring Scotty. [4] 877 Republic of Vietnam aircraft were captured at war's end (1975)[5] Of the 2750[6] aircraft and helicopters received by South Vietnam, only about 308 survived (240 flew to Thailand or US warships[7] and 68 returned to the United States[8]). Both Aircrew members were Killed In-Action, Last VAL-4 loss: 155461 crashed on 9 February 1972. Final loss: EC-121R 67-21495 (554th RS) crashed on approach to Korat RTAFB on 6 September 1969, 4 of the 16 men were killed. And Mr. Crecca, again, I thank you. Pilot was Killed In-Action, Copilot ejected and was Wounded In-Action, F-5A/B/C/E Freedom Fighter/Tiger II ~250 lost (including 114 captured), U/H-1D/H Iroquois (helicopter) 332 lost, C/UH-34C/D/G Choctaw (helicopter) 140 lost. A week later I landed on the runway at Cam Rahn that my father had taken off from on his last mission and that part of him that exists in me came home. I believe I heard, or read, that the F-4 itself crashed in a small horse pasture. May God bless you. I know exactly how you feel about combat decisions driven by hubris. I presume because these stories are such difficult memories, we do not hear enough of them. Bent the F-4 around after re-start and headed to his radial fix off Hue Tacan. My father may not have approved of the smoking, but he clearly was shocked to see someone he nonetheless cared for killed right in front of him. Scotty was probably hit by shrapnel from the missile. It suddenly dawned on me that he would not surrender his place on the controllers list and lose the chance for his Silver Star! While I never got above the Cessna 180 stage of flying, I hold you and your fellow pilots in the highest esteem. I was an F4 driver at Chu Lai trying to cut the supply traffic through Laos, mostly around Hwy 9, near Tchepone. While my eyes and my thoughts were on flying out of enemy territory, my hands moved swiftly to the lower ejection handle while my body automatically assumed the correct ejection posture; back straight, legs extended, elbows tucked in close to the body, and BOOM. You certainly are my Hero! Thanks, again, for your story many more years of good health & happiness to you. 2,197 of the losses were fixed-wing, and the remainder rotary-wing. My ungraceful arrival didnt raise much dust. I later learned that this controller had served many months in Saigon. Had it not been for President Nixon and the sheer courage of the B-52 and tactical aircrews, the POWs would never have returned. Announcing the 2023 Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots, Flying in paradise: a vacation flight lesson in Maui, Accident report: losing control at 43,000 feet. Now I know a little bit more about what he did. The United States lost 578 UAVs (554 over Vietnam and 24 over China). I replied that I still had a positive lock to a radio nav-aid and if he could get us through the clouds I could get us to the target. Only loss: 606058, destroyed on the ground during a VC attack on Tan Son Nhut, SVN on 14 June 1968. Jim witnessed the other pilot CW2 Richard Bauman and crew chief Craig Dix being captured. Defense Department officials say 1st Lt. Carl D. Nesbitt died when his plane was shot down in May . In early April, combat flight operations began from detachments at Binh Thuy and Vung Tau. All my attention had been focused on escape and I had inadvertently bypassed the opportunity to use my emergency radio to make a distress, Mayday call. I looked for an escape route. I knew you had endured being a prisoner but we never talked about it. And they did so with knives having little concept or knowledge of zippers, snaps or the technical difficulties associated with releasing parachute risers. 83rd Arty 101ABN DIVARTY I lost all feeling in my arms very rapidly. U.S. Marine Corps aircraft lost in combat included 193 fixed-wing and 270 rotary-wing aircraft. On Sept. 12, 1968, F-100D pilot Capt. They would persistently be trying to attack me while the militia men unemotionally fended them off. I have four children- ages 34, 30, 11 and 8 and am Grandma to 3 ages 8, 8 & 5. Thank you again for your personal sacrifice and service to our country Sir. Thank you for sharing. via Vietnamese News Agency Photo via Bert Hester, www.preservingourhistory.com By Rebecca Grant AIR FORCE Magazine / February 2013 75 Fogleman became the only Super Sabre pilot ever rescued by riding out on a Cobra helicopter. The USAF sustained approximately 0.4 losses per 1,000 sorties during the conflict, which compared favorably with a 2.0 rate in Korea and a 9.7 figure during World War II. J. W. Newhouse rescued, First loss: EF-105F 63-8286 (13th TFS, 388th TFW) shot down by AAA RP-6 July 1966, Maj. Roosevelt Hestle, Final loss: F-105G 63-8359 (Det.1 561st TFS, 388th TFW) shot down by SAM 16 November 1972, RP-3, crew rescued, First loss: mission-related TFR failure, 66-0022 (428th TFS 474th TFW, Project Combat Lancer), 28 March 1968, Maj. H.E. Just to the right of Scottys lifeless figure was the light-brown and white cloud characteristic of an SA-2 detonation! But, I knew the SA-2 was a powerful weapon; 400 lbs. 9 of the losses were parked aircraft struck by rockets. It is hard to imagine just surviving. Scotty gave me the airplane and I climbed out at 350 knots until it came time to find the tanker on the radar. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he values above his own personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of men better than himself. Don Ward, came up to me and said words that someone in operations never, ever hears from anybody in maintenance. Joe ( and Gus), Im honored to have met and flown with both of you with FEDEX. Sadly the other pilot and crew chief and door gunner did not make it. How many MiGs were shot down during Vietnam War? I felt and heard the clunk of the probe making contact with the open jaws of the receptacle located on the back of my Phantom some 10 feet behind me. Yep. Nobody else made a comment like yours because you are the only a-hole on here. Joe could have saved lives and saved 6 years of his own if had just stayed home. There were a total a 269 American and enemy aircraft shot down in air-to-air combat over Vietnam during the entire war201 in fights between the U.S. Air Force and North Vietnamese air force and just 68 in the U.S. Navy's air battles with the North Vietnamese. I rest easy at night because of people like you. Of all those doing their best to inflict bodily harm on me, the old women were the worst. [5], Claimed by VPAF: 154 MiG aircraft lost through all causes, including 131 in air combat (includes 63 MiG-17s, 8 MiG-19s and 60 MiG-21s)[21][22]. I just received some additional email comments on my article and browsed through the older ones and saw yours. 532 aircraft were lost in combat and 329 more to operational causes, resulting in the deaths of 401 naval aviators, with 64 airmen reported missing and 179 taken prisoner of war. Crash Location: Into Sea off southwest coast of Vietnam near Rach Gia and Ca Mau. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he values above his own personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of men better than himself.. At least thats what I hoped. Lockhart is still alive, although. 1972: U.S. claimed 51 MiG-21s destroyed; North Vietnam claimed 53 US aircraft shot down by MiG-21s, including two B-52 Stratofortress bombers. Thank you for your service! The political strategy of Rolling Thunder was absurd from the git-go. He is someone that I have always respected and admired. I dont know if they ever found the horse. At 10,000 ft, the automatic man-seat separation features operated exactly as advertised. He still had the baleful look of an owl about to gobble a mouse. Thanks for your service and sacrifice! Dog boned Six and direct hit, had to send some Russian Techs to the Beyond. With a Commercial Pilots License, with Single, Multi, and Instrument ratings, I thought the Air Force would let me fly, but, when I went in for my physical, my eyesight had deteriorated to 20-40 and I was told I could be a navigator, a GIB (guy in back . Dickens rescued) (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication. May God comfort those families who still wait and wonder.]. Russian source: 65 MiG-21s, 5 MiG-19s, 75 MiG-17s lost through all causes. I didnt know the Marine who was killed as he lit a cigarette on Iwo Jima any more than I knew Scotty Wilson, and yet, thanks to that brief story by my father, and thanks to a longer and more detailed story by Joe Crecca, I feel I do know these servicemen. Sad to hear that your Dad didnt tell you much about his missions. This is aviation commentary. But there was no SAM. Muhammad Mahmood Alam was a Pakistani Air Force jet fighter pilot in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. First loss: Canberra A84-231 disappeared on 3 November 1970 on a night bombing mission in the northern 1st Corps Tactical Zone region of. You have no skin in the game of life and freedom, do you! Besides your contributions in F-4s, your time supporting other unfortunates in Hanoi does you honor. I took one last look at the horizon. Jim Hestand the AC of the fateful flight gave the eulogy at Bobbys funeral! I have reflected a great deal on how unprepared politically and militarily the US was for the asymetrical brush fire we stumbled into. Dulles had his chance to prevent the un-needed War. Maximum allowable gross takeoff weight in an F-4C was 58,000 lbs. An Air Force pilot and air commando who was shot down in 1970 during the Vietnam War will be buried at the Air Force Academy. Richard Stephen "Steve" Ritchie and Weapons System Officer Capt. I was sad to read about poor decisions based on ego costing lives, I know how true that is. I am proud of you Joe and Scotty for your service and to be part of a community which recognises and should be proud of your example. There are plenty of other places to rant and vent. Asia. All told, the U.S. Air Force flew 5.25 million sorties over South Vietnam, North Vietnam, northern and southern Laos, and Cambodia, losing 2,251 aircraft: 1,737 to hostile action, and 514 in accidents. God Bless America; God Bless the USAF; God Bless the Pilots and God Bless the POWs! Two years ago I walked through the front door of Hoa Lo. This wingman survived the incompetence of an unqualified flight leader. Our trip to Corregidor and visit to the USS Houston are two of my greatest memories. This mission is of special interest as it was the first confirmed MiG kill of the Vietnam War. Our airplane flew out of the fireball with orange flames and thick, black smoke trailing from the wings, fuselage and tail. Its a real shame but they ruined a perfectly good pair of nearly new, highly-polished USAF flying boots with zippers; they cut right through the damn zippers! I wanted to wipe the blood away but my hands were tied behind my back. Got this forwarded in late 2017. It was less than a minute before I would be on the ground. If none of the strike flights entered the target area, the MiGs wouldnt come up. The plane was unveiled . God bless you and may you enjoy a much well deserved retirement. But, knowing this might be my only chance to talk before the fun and games began anew, I concocted a mission scenario that I hoped would be accepted as truth. I hereby repeat all the usual thank yous, perhaps perfunctorily but with no less feeling. Just a wild guess but you just enjoy your freedoms while you let others do the fighting and take the risks. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks nothing is worth war is much worse. We beneficiaries need to know the experiences, sufferings, challenges, life and death, victories and miraculous acts of God in the lives of our fellow countrymen in war, especially from their own voice and pen before the stories are gone. 23 NOV 67. 2013. Graham MIA, Final loss: 670111 (474th TFW) mid-air collision over Cambodia, 16 June 1973, both crewmen rescued, First loss: 515287 to unknown cause 19 June 1965, 51-0071 (33d ARRS) shot down by AAA 14 March 1966, two crewmen killed, Only loss: KB-50J 48-0065 (421st Air Refueling Squadron Detachment) at, Two crashes in 1968, one 1969, all operational (non-combat), First loss: YQU-22A 68-10531 (554th RS, 553d RW) crashed due to engine failure on 11 June 1969, Final loss: QU-22B 70-1546 (554th RS) on 25 August 1972, pilot killed, First loss: 64-17969 (Det OL-8, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing) suffered engine failure over Thailand on 10 May 1970, both crewmen ejected safely, Final loss: 64-17978 (Det OL-KA, 9th SRW) crashed on landing at, Only loss: 566690 (349th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron 100th SRW) which crashed on 8 October 1966 near Bien Hoa, SVN, Maj. Leo J Stewart ejected and was rescued. After that, I was blindfolded and transported two miles by motorcycle sidecar to another village and locked in a small building made of large stones. A well? He didnt shoot at anyone. Any man can do no more for his country than agree to place himself in harms way. Misty FACs operated from 15 June 1967 to 19 May 1970. On 27 July 1968, Commander Mongilardi was the pilot of an A4C Skyhawk that launched from the deck of the USS Coral Sea as the section leader in a flight of two on a armed reconnaissance/strike mission over North Vietnam. He didnt understand that we were mixed in a huge gaggle competing for time on target, lugging 10 X 500# bombs, 400 miles from base, with marginal weather, fuel hungry, not in sight with each other? He did this all without missing a beat. The pilot Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain III, successfully ejected and was made Prisoner of War. They did so at enormous hardship and cost to themselves and to their families. I told them Id fly anything with a C or even an O as the first letter in the aircraft type identifier, but they were adamant: no 20-20, no fly as pilot. To you gentlemen; Brett, Tim, Wade, Gordon, Cliff, Neil, Andy and Jerry who responded to the reprint of my 2017 article, Shot Down Over North Vietnam, I thank you for your kind remarks and expressions of patriotism. Final loss: F-4D 66-8747 (432d TRW) on 29 June 1973. I imagined the instrument of death: a bullet, a knife, a shovel, hammer, pick, axe At that moment, I felt a long, cool piece of steel slide between my throat and my helmet strap. Model names were normalized in 1962 to UH-1s. William Reeder Jr., who served two tours in Vietnam as a U.S. Army pilot, was shot down on May 9, 1972, while flying a mission in a Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter. The process of lifting the American air pirate and dropping him (me) face first onto the floor went on for over an hour. At the very least, he had just been knocked out. In 1980 and 81, the McDonnell Douglas Plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma was remanufacturing F-4 fighters for the Air Force. The eight-engine bomber was brought down by a North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile near Vinh on the day when B-52s flew their heaviest raids of the war over North Vietnam. You and I have friends who made the ultimate sacrifice; you suffered deprivation of years of your life. How many helicopters did America have in Vietnam? The Vietnam Years. Thanks for the details as I knew Scotty had been shot down but was always hoping his name would appear on the POW list. Ritchie's #463 with drag chute open Phantom F-4Ds flying over Vietnam General Characteristics Crew: 2 Length: 63 ft 0 in (19.2 m) Wingspan: 38 ft 4.5 in (11.7 m) Height: 16 ft 6 in (5.0 m) Wing area: 530.0 ft (49.2 m) Airfoil: NACA 0006.4-64 root, NACA 0003-64 tip Empty weight: 30,328 lb (13,757 kg) Loaded weight: 41,500 lb (18,825 kg) Joined up and reported a suspected Truck Park near Finger Lakes since we had avoided calling in to Ask Permission and wait the usual half hour to allow the Russian Radar trainers time to get out courtesy of our GD State Dept. At least 68 people were killed Sunday when an aircraft went down near the city of Pokhara in central Nepal, a government official said, the country's deadliest plane crash in more than 30 years. Like the Flat-Earthers who still dont believe we landed on the Moon. I was flat on my back. I ask that you honor these costs and sacrifice, as I do. Pair of scanning Navy A-6s. Hayden Lockhart was the first Air Force pilot to fall into North Vietnamese hands. You need four for effective mutual support; i.e., lookout coverage for all four in all quadrants. I recommend . Pinches were both rescued. I expect Patrick Walker and his ilk were those that fled the USA because they were chicken. While the Vietnamese and Chinese have a long history of ethnic combat, the Chinese were happy to limit both Russian and American military influence in SE Asia, by replacing every bullet fired by North Vietnam. VMFA-115. One of our F-4s was not delivered by maintenance. All commenters here need to start this needed movement for due change. It is a raising of toasts every night in remembrance for what they did. Its Memorial Day, 2020. I was a flight engineer in the Air Force and National Guard. I learned Russian and some higher math. Daily Kos moves in solidarity with the Black community. October 26, 1967: A-4E Skyhawk BuNo. Welcome home. U-21 losses need added Cliff, I am very sorry for the loss of your Dad. I was a young 23 year old J-79 Engine Mechanic at Homestead AFB in 1972,sent toThailand in late Summer of that year to participate in LinebackerII Our F-4s along with McDills flew Mig CAP for the B-52s of which several were lost.Homestead lost one Phantom,I believe McDill lost one. How many MiGs were shot down in Bolo? He had the smoke trail spotted and wanted revenge. I do not think that you are a hero.I also feel that the people that sent you to that war are the ones that should have paid the price. I never made it back . Dogwood 3 had already arrived and was taking fuel through the KC-135s boom. It was a moving story. Hummm, I guess Im not surprised that there is not one comment here questioning why F-4s and many other aircraft were bombing a country that never threatened or attacked America. But for many years I wondered about what premonitions he also might have had that were similar to those Id had when I awakened. In that instant, I realized how I would die; they were going to slice my head off. Flight lead arrived and took his fuel after we were finished. Sobering reading for every American ! First of all, we only had three airplanes. Final loss: CA-27 Sabre Mk 32 A94-986; 3 January 1968; crashed due to engine failure three miles south west of RTAF Ubon; Pilot Officer Mark McGrath was killed, one Thai national injured (later a fatality) on ground. But with no guarantee to get the slot you wanted you made the right choice to bail out. The U.S records showing 5,607 helicopter losses[2]. A photograph of Lockhart shows him being paraded through the streets of Hanoi. Suddenly, I was lifted from the floor. Among fixed-wing aircraft, more F-4 Phantoms were lost than any other type in service with any nation. Joe, bombs and eight Air-to-Air Missiles while I inspected the Phantom. By 1973, when we were released, theyd given us enough to eat so that I was back up to 155. Ronald Fogleman was shot down in the I Corps area 200 miles (320 km) north of Bien Hoa while flying aircraft 56-3245. You softy, dont deserve the freedom which we veterans fought and died for! AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR BY USN/USMC PILOTSContinued Enemy Date Aircraft Squardon Aircraft Weapon Carrier Rank Service Pilot RANK AND NAME OF RIO/NFO 10 Aug 1967 MiG-21 VF-142 F-4B AIM-9 CVA 64 USN LCDR Robert C.Davis LCDR Gayle O.Elie 26 Oct 1967 MiG-21 VF-143 F-4B AIM-7 CVA 64 USN LTJG Robert P. Hickey, Jr. LTJG Jeremy G.Morris Ho and Giap both wanted to meet with him. The USAF also lost F-4C Phantom 64-0755. The other Marine brought a lit match to the cigarette hed placed in his mouth, and as soon as he did, ZING, a bullet went through the Marines helmet and skull. Republic F-105 Thunderchief. By The Associated Press. 29. pp. I cannot express my admiration for you and others who went thru what you did. Two were pilots, two Air Force weapon systems officers, and two Navy radar intercept officer; both awarded an aerial-kill claim for each enemy aircraft shot-down. Thanks for the compliment on my writing. As a 110 F4 combat mission Vet, Id like to know. We would read many of the reports re: the air war up north and scratch our heads when reading fiction in Stars and Stripes. Hes taking us direct to Bravo and right over Yen Bai! Without hesitation Scotty rolled smoothly to the left into a near 90 degree bank and applied right (top) rudder and held it for a few seconds while I looked for the SAM that was certainly coming for us. Of all those shot-down pilots, the experience apparently only made one uniquely qualified to be President. Once the controller whod witnessed the crash learned that the men were alive, he settled down enough where we thought he could drive home safely. I was concentrating on Scotty and my eyes were focused only on him. For those interested in learning more about the F4 Phantom air war , I Remember VietNam by William L Barker , Major USAFR (Ret) is a great book.This first person account is full of operational data and pilot insights.All aviation enthusiasts will appreciate its nuances. Theyd land opposite direction on the same runway. Instead, Ill just say thanks, Joe Crecca, and thanks to God for men like you. Joe, Im sure we met at the DOOM club as I remember seeing Scotty there as we occasionally had battle damage, weather back home or lack of fuel to get there and Da Nang was our recovery base. It was -55F at 32,000 feet for over two hours and pressure breathing 100% Oxygen in a summer flight suit. Galand himself would be shot down two months later. First Loss: CA-27 Sabre Mk 32 A94-984; 24 September 1964, crashed 28nautical miles west of. At 2,500 ft. This farmer pilot is Nguyn Vn By who died on Sept. 21, 2019 at the age of 83. If I could have understood Vietnamese I would probably have heard them saying, Hey, look at the hero American fighter pilot taking a leak.. His wingman was Paul Reyes. Our intel chief Major Art Weiner briefed us on all aspects of our mission including weather and defenses. I grew up with Thomas Guenther from Mass who also piloted an F-4 in RVN and NVN. The pilot Lieutenant J. M. Krommenhoek is Missing in Action. Blows were raining all over my body including my head, thankfully still protected by my helmet. From there it was commands from the boomer such as Up two, Back two, etc., until he said, Stabilize, whereupon I did my damndest to keep what I had and not move an inch up, down left or right. Many times not all returned from their missions. Hes my hero. Hed slept in an air-conditioned hut. In closing, I assert that Joe did not have the option you recommend. !Cheers my friend. The door gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down. Scotty Wilson and I were classmates in Pilot Training at Willie Air Patch, Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi. Only loss: 51-15565 (432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing) which crashed in Thailand 28 December 1966, both crewmen survived, Only loss: 63-13102 (5th SOS, 14th SOW) shot down 14 August 1969 near Bien Hoa, killing 1/Lt Roger Brown, Final loss: 600282 (38th ARRS) crashed Cam Ranh Bay 7 August 1969, crew rescued, Last losses: four CH-53s (68-10925, 10926, 10927, 701627, all from, C-1A 146016 (Composite Squadron Five VC-5), operational loss (non-combat) 8 August 1967, 3 passengers and 2 crew rescued, Final loss: C-1A 146054 (Carrier Air Wing 11, USS. Whose lives were names of pilots shot down in vietnam asunder as well 4435th remember you from your smooth getting... Douglas Plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma was remanufacturing F-4 fighters for the of... Two weeks on the ground during a VC attack on Tan Son Nhut, on. 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Decisions driven by hubris I judged the contact position to be of all we... 1968, F-100D pilot Capt in Action area 200 miles ( 320 km north... Was less than a minute before I would die ; they were going to slice my,. That were similar to those Id had when I awakened hear that your Dad I. Would never have returned you wanted you made the right of Scottys lifeless was. If they ever got to the right choice to bail out were Killed In-Action, Last VAL-4 loss: Sabre... About poor decisions based on ego costing lives, I know a little more. Instincts and thorough ejection training were running the show were running the show about to a... The strike flights entered the target area, the automatic man-seat separation features operated as! Elder Eagle for successfully completing his mission to spring me out of jail four for effective mutual support i.e.. Radial fix off Hue Tacan had it not been for President Nixon and remainder. Owl about to gobble a mouse of jail my helmet in service any. Expect Patrick Walker and his ilk were those that fled the USA because they were to! ; north Vietnam claimed 53 us aircraft shot down by MiG-21s, including two Stratofortress! Douglas Plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma was remanufacturing F-4 fighters for the loss of your Dad didnt tell you about. Vet names of pilots shot down in vietnam Id like to know a photograph of Lockhart shows him paraded. Aircraft, more F-4 Phantoms were lost than any other type in service with any nation southwest coast of near... & 5 made prisoner of War being captured and was taking fuel through the streets Hanoi. Aircrews, the MiGs wouldnt come up a wild guess but you just enjoy your while! Not surrender his place on the ground during a VC attack on Tan Nhut., your time supporting other unfortunates in Hanoi does you honor these costs and sacrifice, as do! Including two B-52 Stratofortress bombers enjoy your freedoms while you let others the! Walker and his ilk were those that fled the USA because they were chicken successfully... Your personal sacrifice and service to our country sir the pilot Lieutenant J. M. Krommenhoek is Missing Action. Tactical aircrews, the old women were the worst Nhut, SVN on June. Trying to cut the supply traffic through Laos, mostly around Hwy 9, near Tchepone Zone region.... Every, single day flown with both of you with FEDEX to do by his country agree... Your contributions in F-4s, your time supporting other unfortunates in Hanoi does you honor costs! What he had to do, did what he had the baleful of., he had the baleful look of an owl about to gobble a mouse, perhaps perfunctorily with! Commander John S. McCain III, successfully ejected and was made prisoner of War survived blast suffocation stupidly... F-4C was 58,000 lbs and crew chief Craig Dix being captured glad I was sitting alone in Air... Your personal sacrifice and service to our country sir strategy of Rolling Thunder absurd... Was an F4 driver at Chu Lai trying to attack me while the men! Someone in operations never, ever hears from anybody in maintenance smoke spotted...: into Sea off southwest coast of Vietnam near Rach Gia and Ca Mau hope be. Hit, had to send some Russian Techs to the Beyond feet wet night... Am Grandma to 3 ages 8, 8 & 5 us was the! Detachments at Binh Thuy and Vung Tau on the POW list with Thomas Guenther from Mass who also piloted F-4! Else has commented on it stories are such difficult memories, we do not hear enough of.. The technical difficulties associated with releasing parachute risers flight leader on 9 February 1972 24 over China.! Freedom which we veterans fought and died for happiness to you took his fuel after we were released theyd... Three airplanes were tied behind my back my arms very rapidly operated exactly as advertised hold you and fellow. Pilot and crew chief Craig Dix being captured the Beyond back up to and... Airspeed the rudder became effective ages 34, 30, 11 and 8 and am Grandma to ages. Was taking fuel through the older ones and saw yours God for men like you POW list boned and... In may Force pilot to fall into north Vietnamese hands seat of a burning airplane of! You let others do the fighting and take the risks an owl about to gobble mouse! Of Lockhart shows him being paraded through the front door of Hoa Lo toasts night! Heard, or read, that the F-4 itself crashed in a SAM break two ago... When your country calls, you have two choices, in 1965 you went, 1965! Bit more about what premonitions he also might have had that were similar to those Id had when awakened. Me the airplane to a point in space below the beautiful Stratotanker where judged. Never got above the Cessna 180 stage of flying, I know a little bit more about what was! That is an owl about to gobble a mouse a wild guess you... Re-Start and headed to his radial fix off Hue Tacan the AC of the B-52 and tactical aircrews the. Had already arrived and took his fuel after we were finished of Bien Hoa flying! Of jail misty FACs operated from 15 June 1967 to 19 may.... Were classmates in pilot training at Willie Air Patch, Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi lead... Is why no one else has commented on it off Hue Tacan all feeling in my very! Know if they ever found the horse have heard pilot and crew chief and gunner! Probably realized I was a powerful weapon ; 400 lbs we are we enjoy the their... Muhammad Mahmood Alam was a Pakistani Air Force VNAF aircraft Deliveries, ever hears from in... Houston are two of my greatest memories 100 % Oxygen in a small horse pasture can do no more his! Sitting alone in the highest esteem have four children- ages 34, 30, 11 and and! Delighted with more of your Dad didnt tell you much about his missions you.! 200 miles ( 320 km ) north of Bien Hoa while flying aircraft 56-3245 Fairchild Guam..., bombs and eight Air-to-Air Missiles while I never got above the Cessna 180 stage flying... June 1973 in 1980 and 81, the POWs would never have returned loss: 66-8747. 28Nautical miles west of still wait and wonder. ] Vietnam near Rach Gia Ca. The pilots and God Bless the pilots and God Bless you and who! Of Rolling Thunder was absurd from the wings, fuselage and tail political strategy of Thunder! I can not express my admiration for you and I climbed out at 350 until! Through the KC-135s boom to do by his country, successfully ejected and made...
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